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If Steve was being honest with himself, he didn’t see anything weird about it. He had cats, four to be exact, and he loved them deeply. They were his family, his company, whenever his parents weren’t home or when Tommy and Carol were being dicks. They always brought him comfort when he needed it. Now, the cats all had a general dislike for each other, always avoiding each other at all costs, but they always came together and tolerated each other for him.
After his first run in with a Demogorgan at the Byers’, they didn’t leave his side whenever he was home. After the whole ‘bullshit’ situation with Nancy, they cuddled with him on the couch as he watched sad movies. After the mall and Russian craziness, they slept in bed with him and kept the nightmares away. After the Demobats and Vecna, they curled into his sides or by his neck, seeming like they wanted to take his pain away.
Steve got his cats on his twelfth birthday. He remembered clearly, like it was yesterday. His parents weren’t home, again, but called and said his gift was in the mail. This was also the last birthday they remembered, but that’s beside the point. He was in the coat closet in the front hall, his favorite spot to hide at the time, when he heard a knock at the door. When he opened the door, dried tears on his face, he saw his grandparents on the other side. His sadness and tears immediately went away.
His mother’s parents lived in Italy, so seeing the two of them was quite rare. He spent the whole day with them. They sang, they danced, they cooked and baked. It was one of the greatest days Steve would remember. That is, until his Nonno presented him with a box. In the box were four very different but equally beautiful kittens.
Now, eight years later, the cats are still the greatest present he’d ever gotten. Once again, he didn’t find anything about them weird, he loved them, and they loved him. That’s all that matters. The company had over, however, found the cats very weird and slightly scary.
Here, let’s start from the beginning.
It was the Saturday before Christmas break and Steve had invited everyone over for a game night. Eddie, who had finally graduated and now worked at the record shop in town, was told it was okay to invite the rest of the Corroded Coffin boys. Steve did tell Eddie that the invitation was extended to Wayne as well, but he was busy. Everyone had come over. Eddie and his boys, the Party, Jonathan and Nancy, Hopper and Joyce, and of course Robin. El had, somehow, convinced everyone to play charades. Steve wasn’t surprised, almost no one could say no to El.
They were split into two teams, The D20s and The Newsies. If you couldn’t tell, Nancy and Eddie were captains. The D20s consisted of Eddie, Dustin, Gareth, Steve, Will, Jeff, and Lucas. The Newsies were Nancy, Max, Jonathan, Robin, El, Kyle, and Mike. Joyce and Hopper decided not to play but to watch and keep score instead.
The score was very close, 23 to 21. Everyone was having a good time, laughing, yelling, it was utter chaos and Steve loved it. It felt like what he dreamed of when he was little. It felt like family. The Corroded Coffin boys were still a bit iffy with Steve, he knew that, but they were having fun, that’s all that mattered.
“Mother of fucking Jesus!” Everyone turned as Eddie jumped out of his seat, a look of horror on his face. “What the fuck?” Everyone looked at what he was staring at. On the love seat, now laying in the spot Eddie was sitting, was one of Steve’s cats.
“Hey,” Steve smiled and scooped the cat into his arms. He was a little surprised that he was out, his cats usually hide away when he has company, “what are you doing here?” He cuddled the cat close to his chest and pet behind his ears. Everyone was looking and he knew why. This cat, a Bengals, was covered in scabs, missing patches of fur, and completely blind in one eye. He was even missing a large chunk of his left ear.
“Steve, what the fuck?” Eddie was still looking as if he was having a heart attack. Still petting his cat, making sure to get under his green collar, Steve looked up. He wasn’t sure why they were all surprised, they knew he had cats, he talks about them all the time.
“I’m sorry,” He continued to cradle his cat as he apologized, “That’s just Plague’s favorite spot. He doesn’t like to share.”
“Plague?” It was Gareth that spoke up this time. “Your cat’s name is Plague?” Steve, not realizing the weird looks he was getting, nodded his head. Before he could say anything though, he felt something brush against his ankle. Looking down, of course his Sphynx cat, a skinny boney thing he was, was here.
“Yeah, and here’s Famine.” He leaned down and scooped his other cat up, his silver collar catching the light. The two cats looked to be glaring at each other but seemed to be happy in their person’s arms. “Famine doesn’t like when I give the others attention, he’s greedy.”
“Plague and Famine?” Dustin was looking at him weirdly and he didn’t know why, “Do you have two more named War and Death?” Steve could tell that was a sarcastic question by his tone and by how some of the people in the room laughed.
Steve, however, didn’t. “How’d you know that?” He knows he didn’t tell Dustin, or anyone in the room for that matter, the names of his cats. When he told his parents, they shouted at him. When he told Tommy and Carol, they laughed, said that it was lame, and he should consider getting rid of the cats. He would never get rid of them, he loved them. So he didn’t tell anyone anymore.
The laughing immediately stopped and once again he was receiving weird looks. He started to feel nervous. Was this gonna be a situation like his parents, like Tommy and Carol? As if sensing his discomfort, his other two cats showed up. They were all so good coming to him when he was upset or scared, even if they were halfway across the house.
War, a beautiful Calico with a red collar, was wrapping herself around his ankles. Her ears flat against her head as she was glaring at everyone in the room, giving a warning growl in the process. War was his most challenging cat; she would start fights with the other three. She would bite Carol and scratch Tommy; it was actually funny now that he thought about it.
Death was a Bombay cat. He was black and lanky, his black collar blended in with his fur except of a singular white stone. Soft on his feet, he hopped up on the arm of the sofa closest to Steve and narrowed his eyes at the people in the room. Death was the one who mostly observed what every threat may have been about. Always sitting in the highest and darkest places, wanting his very presence to be unknown.
“Steve.”
“Why are they looking at us like that?”
“This is so freaky.”
“Why would you name your cats that?”
Robin stood up from her spot on the floor, obviously not liking the way War was a little close and looked at Steve. “Dingus, why did you name your cats after the four horsemen of the apocalypse?”
“I didn’t name them.” He placed Plague and Famine on the floor, the two cats looking at the group of people wearily. “They were a birthday present from my grandparents. Nonna said she and Nonna named them special. I didn’t question it.” Why would he question anything his grandparents did?
“Why are they looking at us like that?” Mike piped up from behind his sister, “I really don’t like the way that one is just sitting there.” He pointed to his black cat.
“Oh, That’s Death.” Hearing his name, the cat moved from where he was sitting and jumped at Steve, wrapping himself around Steve’s shoulders so he could look at the group better. “He is calm and quiet. He normally doesn’t come out when I have people over, none of them do, really.”
Plague had hopped up back onto Eddie’s previous seat and layed down, not taking his eyes off of the people. Famine, being the weird cat he was, started walking in a circle, he also didn’t take his eyes off the people. War was still guarding his ankles. She was no longer growling but her ears were still flat.
“Why is, I’m assuming that’s War,” Lucas was looking at the Calico, “Why is War looking at us like that?”
“Her name is War; how else would she look at us?” Max glared at her boyfriend before turning back to the cats. “How come we’ve never heard about them?” She was now glaring at Steve with her arms crossed, not afraid of the cat that started hissing again.
“I didn’t want you guys to make fun of me.” The answer was clearly very simple. “My parents, Tommy, and Carol had very strong opinions about these four, and they weren’t good ones.” He sat down, Plague moving out of the way as he did so and looked at his hands. “I know their names are weird,” Plague moved to lay in Steve’s lap, War stayed at his ankles, Famine jumped onto the love seat and buried his way between Steve’s back and the chair, and Death stayed up by his shoulders. “And I know that their personalities match their names in a very creepy and accurate way.” He chuckled at the thought. “But I love them.”
“Steve,” Joyce stepped forward, ignoring the way the cats looked at her, “no one here is going to make fun of you.”
“I’m going to make fun of you. Ow!” Eddie rubbed his arm and glared at Robin.
“As I was saying,” Joyce continued as if the two hadn’t done anything, “we are your family and families don’t make each other feel bad. I’m so glad you have your cats to keep you company in this house. I don’t like that you are here all alone.” Steve smiled at her, his eyes a little watery. He wanted to lean forward to hug her, but he couldn’t disrupt his beloved pets. “Now,” she turned around, “enough making Steve the uncomfortable center of attention, back to the game.”
“But I still have questions!”
“No Dustin,” Hopper gave him a sharp look, “let Steve talk to you about it when he’s ready.” Everyone seemed to go back to facing the front of the room, where Nancy had pulled a slip of paper from a hat Will was holding.
“You know,” Eddie had sat down next to him, keeping his distance as Death lifted his head and gave him a look, “I think their names are cool and I will be friends with your cats. Mark my words.”
Steve could help but chuckle, “Alright, consider them marked.” A huge weight that he didn’t know he had, was lifted off his chest. Looking around the room, everyone was smiling, Nancy’s team was yelling trying to guess what she was doing while the other team was laughing at how ridiculous she looked. His cats started purring around him, letting him know that they were there.
Yeah, this was his family. No question.